Power and transmission unit



July 15, 1941. c.AD. PETERSON ETAI. 2,249,035

PowER AND TRANsMIssxoN UNIT Filed Jurie s, 1939 s Smeets-sheet 1 Il E- L f /A-fmF--- IN VENT OR.'

ATToRNEYs.

July 15,1941. v c. D. PETERSON ETAL 2,249,035

POWER AND TRANSMISSION UNIT Filed Juney s, 1959 s sheets-shanev Q QM mw wh wm w Il! rfi J.

N., w \N m, ww NN m mmm MN ww mm, 5 vw S mw AU, Q\ m\ INVENTORS:

July 15, 1941- c. D. PETERSON ETAL 2,249,035

POWER AND TRANSMISSION UNIT Filed `fune s, 1939 -s sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEY 5 resented any is, Ai941 )man POWER AND TRANSMISSION UNIT Cari D. Peterson and Elmer J. Barth, Toledo, 0h10 Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,681

3 Claims.

This invention relates to power transmission units including an engine, clutch, and change speed transmission gearing, and has for its object a unit in which the transmission gearing is interposed between the engine and the clutch with-its output shaft extending transversely of the axial line of the clutch and engine shafts and the clutch at the rear end of the unit, where it can be readily cooled, the transmission being so mounted asto be readily accessible without demounting and readily assembled in the unit.

It further has for its object a power transmission, unit which may be assembled transversely of a vehicle parallel and close to the driving axle, as vthe rear axle, and the speed changes transmitted to the driving axle through a propeller shaft extending coaxially or in the same general direction as the output shaft of the gearing and at a right angle to the output shaft, and hence the unit assembled `within a vehicle Aof a given width and with a minimum distancebetween the unit and the driving axle without a propeller shaft extending in the general direction lengthwise of the axle and of the unit.y

It further has for its object a compact'arrangement of the engine clutch and transmission in which the clutch is driven by a comparatively long intermediate shaft between it and the engine and the motion is transmitted from the transmission gearing through a comparatively long output shaft o1'- extension thereof extending crosswise of the intermediate shaft.

It also has for its object a' clutch construction in which one of the members, as the driven mem-.- ber, is carried byv a hollow shaft or sleeve rotatable about the engine-actuated or intermediate shaft, and drives the input shaft of the gearing, which is also a hollow shaft or sleeve around the voutput shaft of the gearing or the extension thereof, through intermeshing hypoid or skew gearson the hollow shafts, all whereby a unit of maximum uniform length consisting of the engine, clutch and transmission gearing can be arranged in the available width of the vehicleparalle! and close to the driving axle.

The invention consists in theA novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

' In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in al1 the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of this power and transmission unit, the outlines of the body of the venicle or bus being indicated in dot-anddash lines and the contiguous portion of the driving axle, Athe clutch control and the gear shifting mechanism being also shown. Y

Figure 2 is a. side elevation of the transmission gear and clutch assembly., l

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line .3-3, Figure 1.

interposed between the clutch and the enginewith its output shaft extending transversely -of the axial line of the engine shaft and the clutch from one side of the unit to the other side, where it is connectedby a propeller shaft to the pinion i gear ofthe differential gear of any well-known construction located within the housing 5.

'6 and'` 'd designate the drive shaft sections which are driven through the differential gearing in the usual manner.

The engine is formed with the usual ily wheel housing ii or what, for brevitys sake, is'callerlv the fly wheel housing herein, although there may or may not be afiy wheel on the crank shaft of the engine within the housing 8.

The clutch includes driving and driven members, one of which is shiftable axially, and in this embodiment of the invention, the driving mem- Vber is shiftable axially into and out of engaged position. The clutch here shown is of the single plate pressure ring type. 9 designates the driving member and I0 the driven member, the driving member 9 being here shown as a disk having a hub Ii splined on an intermediate shaft I2 which rotates with or is coupled to the engine shaft.` 'I'he driven member I0 is formed with a recess I3, and the disk 9 `with the friction faces on opposite sides thereof, extends between the bottom of the recess and a pressure ring Il. The pressure ring is suitably interlocked with the driven member I0 to rotate therewith and is shiftable axially. The pressure ring is operated in any suitable manner to shift the disk 9 into engaged position and permit it to release from' engaged position. It is here shown as operated through radial levers I5 coacting at I6 and il with fulcrums on the pressure ring and on an adjustable ring ,I9 threading into the back plate 20 on the driven member I0. The inner ends of the levers coact with anv annular head or abut-'- ment 2i on a throw-out sleeve.22 around the rear end of theintermediate shaft i2. The clutch spring 23 is interposed between an abutment 24 on the back plate and the inner'ends of the levers I5, the spring thrusting against suitable abutments or washers 2,5 interposed between the spring and the inner ends of the levers I5. 26 is the throw-out collar on the throw-out sleeve 22.

The construction of the clutch per se forms no part of this invention.

21 and 28 designate the sections of the clutch housing, the section 21 being an intermediate section between the clutch and the engine housing and having a plate 29 at its front end for securement to the fly wheel housing 8 in the same manner that the usual bell housing is secured to the ily wheel housing. The section 28 is detachably secured to the rear end of the section 21 and is in the form of the usual bell housing. It is provided with a Ventilating opening The section 21 is provided with a similar opening 21a for cooling' the clutch. The opening 21a is preferably in communication with the interior of the vehicle to draw in comparatively clean air.

The intermediate shaft I2 is journalled in suitable anti-friction bearings at 30 and 3| in the front end of the section 21 of the clutch housing adjacent the engine or fly wheel housing and in the rear end of the bell housing section 28, the

bearing 3I being enclosed in a suitable cap 32.

The driven member I0 of the clutch is mounted on .a hollow shaft or sleeve 33 encircling the intermediate shaft I2 and journalled at 34 and 35 in bearings provided respectively in partitions or i webs 36, 31 in the section 21 of the clutch housing, the web or partition 31 being demountable.

. The hollow shaft or`sleeve 33 is coupled to the driven member I0 of the clutch by a hub 38 splined on the hollow shaft 33 and secured, as by screws 39, to the driven member I0. The sleeve 33 has a gear 40 thereon here shown as formed integral therewith, this gear being located between the bearings 34 and 35. The intermediate shaft I2 is coupled to the engine shaft in axial alinement therewith through any suitable coupling means, one section of which is shown at 4I.

The transmission gearing may be of any general type, and includes an input shaft 42, 'an output shaft 43 in line with the input shaft, a countershaft 44, and trains of gears between the same to effect final drive through different gear ratios. The outputshaft 43 is provided with an extension 43a extending transversely of the section 21 of the clutch housing and transversely of the intermediate shaft I2 and is spacedin. a radial direction therefrom. It is journalled at its opposite ends respectively in bearings 45 and 46 in the wall of the housing section 21 opposite to that on which the transmission gearing is located, and in the outer end wall of the gear box 3, the bearing 4.6 being enclosed bya suitable cap 48. The input shaft 42 is a sleeve concentric with the extension 43L of the output shaft and concentrically spaced therefrom and journalled in suitable bearings 49, and 5-I. The bearings 49 are mounted in a bracket or web 52 in the section 21 of the clutch housing, and the bearings 50, 5I are mounted in an intermediate carrier or adapter 53 interposed between the gear box and the section 21 of the clutch housing and pivoted at 53n in the front wall 41 of the gear box. The gear box and the intermediate carrier are secured to the section 21 of the clutch housing, as by screws 54. 'I 'he' bearings 58 and 5I also act as end-thrust bearings. By this arrangement, a conventional gear -box is readily adapted for a gearing with the hollow` or sleeve i input shaft iny place of the usual stem gear, and

the gear -box assembly 'applied to the side of the intermediate section of the clutch housing. The input shaft 42 has a gear 55 thereon meshing with the gear 40, and as theshafts I2 and'43 are spaced apart in a radial direction, and hence the axes of these shafts in different planes, the gears 48 and 55 are hypoid or skew gears. By reason of the location of the gear box, a standard gear box may be readily assembled with the engine and the clutch, between the engine and the clutch, and is accessible as it can be readily removed and replaced, without demounting the clutch. The gear box is provided with a removable cover 3, and hence the interior thereof is readily accessible. The section 21 of the clutch housing is also provided with a demountable cover 21b for giving access to the gears 40 and 55. The gearing includes shiftable elements for effecting a drive through different gear ratios, one of these shiftable elements being here shown as a synchronizing clutch 51, and the other as a shiftable gear 51, and these maybe selected and shifted through any suitable shifting and selecting mechanism.

Shifting of the gear 51EL to the left from neutral, clutches it to a gear 58 normally rotatable about the output shaft 43, and hence clutches the gear 58 to the output slhaft 43, so that first speed forward is obtained as follows:v Gear 59 on the input shaft 42, gear 60 meshing therewith on the countershaft 44, gear 6I on the countershaft which meshes with the gear 58. Shifting of the gear 51a to the rightfrom neutral shifts it into mesh with an idler, not shown, which meshes with a gear 62 rotatable with the countery shaft to producereverse speed through gears 59, 60, countershaft 44 and gear 62, the idler, not shown, and gear 51e. Shifting of the synchronizing 'clutch to the right from neutral clutches 51 to the left from neutral connects the input shaft 42 and the output shaft 43 together in direct drive relation. The extension 43 of the output shaft 43 and also the intermediate shaft are comparatively long, and hence a. flexible drive or wind-up is provided in starting or upon sudden acceleration, and in order to facilitate this action, these shafts are reduced to a diameter to accomplish this result, the shaft I2 being reduced between its front driving end and the point where the driven element of the clutch is splined thereon, the extension 43 of the output shaft of the gearing being reduced in diameter between its output end and the synchronizing clutch 51 or where this clutch is splined to the output shaft 43. The crosswise arrangement of theshaft extension 43a andthe shaft I2 permit long shafts to be used in the confined available space.

The clutch is operated through a suitable throw-'out mechanism including the throw-out sleeve 22 and the throw-out collar 29, a throw-out yoke, notshown, but mounted upon a yoke shaft 65 journalled in the bell housing section 29 of the clutch housing', this being operated from a remotely controlled lever, as a pedal, located in the front of the vehicle. As here illustrated, the yoke shaft 65 is operated through a link 86, a bell crank lever4 A61 to one arm of which'the linkSS is pivoted and link 68 connected at one end to l the other arm of the bell cranklever 81 and at its other end to a rock arm 88 on the yoke shaft 88. The other end of the link 88 is connected to the clutch pedal in any well-known manner. The

shiftable elements of the transmission gearing are operated by any suitable mechanism. .that

. here shown, including shift rods, as 10, one for the synchronizing clutch. and another for the shiftable gear 81, forks I and 12 coacting respectively with the clutch 51 and the gear 51* 1o and slidable with the rods respectively, rock arms 18 and 14 mounted respectively on concentric shafts "and 18 and having rock arms 11 and 18 thereon and remote control mechanism for actuating the rock arms. The shift rods 10 -15 and the shafts 18 and 18 and rock arms 13, 14

are suitably mounted in the cover 8 of the gear box, with the rock arms 11 and 18 located outside of the gear box. One of .these rock arms, as 11,

is operated through a link 19 connected at one 20 end to the arm 88 of a bell crank lever, a link 8| connected at one end to the other arm of the bell crank lever and its other end to an arm82 ofanother bell crank lever, the other arm of which is connected to the rock arm 11 by the 25 link 83. The other rock arm v1'8 is shiftedin a similar manner by a link 84, bell crank lever.85,

l link 86, another bell crank lever 81 and link 88.

The links 18 and 84 extend forwardly to the front end of the vehicle where they coact with any wellvknown form of selecting and shifting lever-or a lever having a lateral selecting movement and a fore-and-aft shifting movemen The extension 43' of the output shaft 43 is connected to the pinion gear of the differential 1; In a transmission mechanismfor automotive engines having a ily wheel housing, a clutch nous-5 ing including a section in which the clutch is contained, and an intermediate boxlike section having a wall remote from the former section provided with means for securement to the `fly wheel housing of the engine, a gear box for a change-speed gearing extending laterally from 50 one side of the intermediate boxlike housing, a clutch drive shaft iournalled at its opposite ends The drive pinion shaft and difananas l 3 nism including input and output shafts, the output shaft extending transversely of the intermediate boxlike housing crosswise of the clutch drive shaft, and motion transmitting means in the boxlike housing between the clutch driven shaft and the input shaft of the gearing.

2. In a transmission mechanism for automotive engines having a fly wheel housing, a clutch housing including a section in which the clutch is contained and an intermediate boxlike section having a wall at one end remote from the former section for attachment to the fly wheel housing of an engine, a clutch drive shaft, a clutch driven shaft, the former being lournalled at one end in said wall of the boxlike housing and at its other end in the end wall of the portion of the housing containing the clutch, and agear box extending laterally from one side of the intermediate boxlike section, the gearing in the gear box including input and output shafts, the output shaft extending transversely of the boxlike section and .crosswiseof the clutch drive shaft and radially spaced therefrom and being mounted at its end remote from the gear box in a lateral wall of the intermediate boxlike section, and motion transmitting means in the boxlike section between the driven shaft of the clutch and the 'input shaft 3. In a lransmission mechanism for automotive engines having a fly wheel housing, a clutch housing including a section in which the clutch is contained and an intermediate boxlike section havinga wall at one end remote from the formersection for attachment to the ily wheel housing of an engine, `a clutch drive shaft, a clutch driven shaft, 'the former being Journalledat one end in said wall of the boxlike housing and at its' other end in the end wall of the portion of the housing containing the clutch, and a gear box extending laterally from one side, of the intermediate box' likesection, the gearing in thegear box including input and output shafts, the output shaft extending transversely .of the-boxlike section and crosswise ofthe clutch drive shaft and radially spaced therefrom and being mounted at its end remote from the gear boxin a lateral wall of the intermediate boxlike section, and motion transmit means in the boxlike section between the driven tof the clutch and the input shaft of the the driven shaft of the clutch beingv h l w and mounted concentric with the clutch drive shaft and the input shaft of the gearing being hollow and mounted concentric with theoutput shaft of the gearing.

cam. D, Pa'rrzasoN.

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